The Delo Tractor Restoration Contest (TRC) is a program put on by Chevron through the FFA that makes a huge impact on the lives of high school-aged participants. Tabetha Salsbury, a Youth Advocacy Coordinator, can speak directly to the impact it has, as she participated in the TRC in high school and it is how she got her start in all things restoration-related. She was the first woman to win the contest (2004) and the first participant to win consecutive years (2005).
The TRC was established in 1995 to recognize and reward the creativity, technical aptitude and business knowledge of high school-aged students from around the country. The contest is mainly open to FFA members, but 2012 is the first year Delo has opened four (4) entry spots to non-FFA members. You can learn more about the TRC at http://delotractorrestorationcompetition.com/.
The national finalists were just announced Monday, September 24. These 12 finalists (individuals and teams) will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., for the National FFA Convention in October for final presentations and judging in front of a panel of expert judges. The prizes for the contest are quite impressive: Grand Champion – $10,000, Reserve Champion – $5,000 and Bronze Champion – $3,000. The presentation and judging will take place on October 24-25.
In the meantime, there is a video contest with live voting for the wider community. Go online (http://www.delotrcvoting.com/) and watch the finalists’ videos and vote for who you think should win the TRC Competition. Voting ends October 22. As Tabetha notes, “It’s fun to see the kids and tractors in action, and it is incredible the creative ways they come up with to promote it to their local communities to stir up excitement and votes. Some of the videos have over 10-20,000 votes!”
